- \n
- You committed to a timeframe<\/b> that was too short<\/b> to produce quality without panic.<\/li>\n
- You felt rushed <\/b>and \u2018just wanted to get it done\u2019.<\/li>\n
- You over-estimated<\/b> the clarity of your arguments.\u00a0<\/li>\n
- You submitted the work before it was ready so you could tell yourself<\/b> you met a deadline.<\/li>\n
- You simply didn\u2019t notice<\/b> any of this while it was occurring.<\/i><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
It\u2019s this last point that frustrates you the most. You didn\u2019t see yourself<\/i> operating at a low bar while it was taking place.\u00a0 And you have no idea how you could possibly spot your own behaviour – in real time – in order to change it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The key? Self-awareness.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n
When you\u2019re deeply self-aware, you\u2019re able to change your behaviour \u2013 at the right time.<\/p>\n
But in adult ADHD, executive functioning delays tend to create lower self-awareness.<\/p>\n
Here are the brain-based delays that undermine self-awareness:<\/b><\/p>\n
- \n
- Interoception <\/i>– The ability to sense the inner self, physically and emotionally. https:\/\/link.springer.com\/article\/10.1007\/s12402-019-00299-3<\/a> If you can\u2019t have access to inner cues such as muscle tightness and breathing patterns, it\u2019s harder to know where you need to adapt.<\/li>\n
- Self-monitoring<\/i> – You don\u2019t watch yourself \u2018do\u2019. If you can\u2019t see it, you can\u2019t change it.<\/li>\n
- Metacognition<\/i> \u2013 The skill of using your thinking to cue your behaviour is less developed. In the case of ADHD, metacognition is usually fully developed by the late 20s.<\/li>\n
- Working memory<\/i> \u2013 Working memory is impaired in ADHD.\u00a0 You can\u2019t hold thoughts long enough to use them to reflect meaningfully.<\/li>\n
- Inhibition –<\/i> ADHD brains are meant to be in action<\/i>, not to stop<\/i> and reflect. <\/i>You may find you can\u2019t inhibit yourself from slowing down, let alone stop. Many of my clients ask me, \u2018How do you stop? How does anyone do that?\u201d<\/li>\n
- Emotional dysregulation<\/i> – Big emotions take center stage in ADHD. They drive reactive behaviours. Calm, goal-directed behaviour can feel out of reach.<\/li>\n
- Time blindness<\/i> – You don\u2019t see things in your mind\u2019s eye across time. It all occurs at once. Time blindness makes it difficult to learn from past mistakes or see how to break down tasks across time.<\/li>\n
- Sustaining focus<\/i> \u2013 You find it difficult to sustain your focus long enough to work through the deeper layers of thought.<\/li>\n
- Regulating speed<\/i> \u2013 Pacing the speed at which you work is challenging. You rely on bursts of sudden motivation and inspiration. You move too quickly to slow down and reflect.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
How do you feel reading this? Overwhelmed? Hopeless?<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n
I want you to know this:\u00a0 You come by these challenges honestly. You are not lazy<\/i>. You do not lack integrity.\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n
None of this is your fault.\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n
And you can do something about it!<\/p>\n
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![\"lynda](\"https:\/\/lyndahoffman.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/lynda-hoffman-life-coaching-reading-1024x540.jpeg\")
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\nSelf-Awareness<\/b><\/p>\n
Self-awareness is the ability to see yourself in the moment, and understand how your thoughts, feelings and actions impact your behaviour.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Self-awareness is the ability to see your relationship with yourself – how you treat yourself, how well you listen to yourself.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And it\u2019s how you are with others, too. When you\u2019re self-aware, you know how you affect others and the environment around you.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When you\u2019re self-aware, you have an accurate sense of your strengths and weaknesses, and you know how to work with each of them.<\/p>\n
Self-awareness is a powerful tool for goal-directed behaviour. It\u2019s the skill for staying on track and actualizing your potential.<\/p>\n
And there\u2019s a reciprocal relationship between these executive functioning challenges and your self-awareness.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The better your Executive Functioning, the better your self-awareness. The better your self-awareness, the better your Executive Functioning.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n
When you\u2019re self-aware in the moment<\/i>, you can shift the way you work if you need to. You remember that you want to produce excellent work<\/i>, and that you can seamlessly self-monitor, adapt and execute toward that goal.<\/p>\n
Self-awareness supports you in performing at the high level you\u2019re capable of \u2013 in spite of what the ADHD portion of your brain tells you to do!<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Neuroplasticity and Self-Awareness<\/b><\/p>\n
What you focus on grows. Decide to put your attention on yourself \u2013 differently.<\/p>\n
You have the capacity to be self-aware, but you need to decide to pay attention<\/i> to developing that self-awareness.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Every time<\/i> you take a new action \u2013 and repeat it – you develop new neural pathways. Over time, it becomes a habit. Ingrained. Easier.<\/p>\n
Develop Self-Awareness: 9 Keys<\/b><\/p>\n
- \n
- Pay attention differently<\/b> \u2013 Shift your focus from autopilot to consciousness. Notice what you\u2019re paying attention to. Allow yourself to move from the detail to the big picture and back again. Learn to see things from different angles.<\/li>\n
- Be present<\/b> \u2013 Cultivate presence by putting your focus on body sensations such as breathing, tingling in the fingertips, or the space between your navel and your back.
When you\u2019re present in the moment with nowhere else to be, you won\u2019t be in a story about what you should <\/i>be doing.\u00a0<\/li>\n- Observe your mind<\/b> \u2013 Observe your thoughts like clouds in the sky.\u00a0 They come and they go. Notice how much spaciousness exists in your mind \u2013 without judging any of it. Being mindfully aware in this way gives you space between you and your thoughts, allowing you to direct your attention more powerfully.<\/li>\n
- Slow down to speed up <\/b>– Deliberately decide to slow yourself down before <\/i>you engage in a task. When you set an intention to be slower in your actions, you\u2019re better able to see yourself<\/i> in action.<\/li>\n
- Pay attention to time<\/b> \u2013 Create ways to \u2018see\u2019 time. You\u2019ll see yourself more clearly in your mind\u2019s eye, and you\u2019ll be better able to execute tasks on time. Our sense of self is built around time: memories and anticipated events. Setting aside time for observing, monitoring and adjusting is<\/b> self-awareness in action! The more self-aware you are, the better able you are to manage time.<\/li>\n
- Reflect, reflect, reflect<\/b> \u2013 Choose your favourite way to reflect.\u00a0 Journaling is one way, but ideally you want to be reflecting throughout your day. Ask yourself periodically, \u201cWhat is my internal state? What might I need to adjust? What is my intention for the day? Do I need to slow down? Am I on track to deliver quality?\u201d <\/i><\/li>\n
- Reflect on your new strategies<\/b> – Commit to reflecting on your new strategies. Are they working? Were you engaging with them? Whether it\u2019s a new checklist, schedule, or visual cue, did it do what you hoped it would do? What might you change so it works better? Something inside of you?<\/li>\n
- Ask for regular feedback<\/b> \u2013 Get feedback regularly. Adults with ADHD often have difficulty estimating their own attentional capacities. They also tend to overestimate their cognitive abilities. Regular feedback is a way to check your perceptions of how you\u2019re doing. https:\/\/link.springer.com\/article\/10.1007\/s00702-020-02293-w<\/a><\/li>\n
- Be compassionate \u2013<\/b> Be compassionate with yourself. The strength of your self-awareness will be directly affected by how lovingly you allow and accept what you come to know about yourself. Judgment shuts down reflection, and it feeds unhelpful rumination. Compassion doesn\u2019t let you off the hook, but it does set you up to adjust whatever behaviour doesn\u2019t sit well with you. Compassion opens your heart, increases your flexibility, and enhances your confidence.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
The next time you receive unfavourable feedback\u2026<\/b><\/p>\n
Next time you receive unfavourable feedback, use it to your advantage.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Own the lapse in attention. Acknowledge it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Commit to being more mindful about the time frame you need to deliver excellent work.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Reflect on what other strategies you need to deliver your best.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Celebrate your openness and willingness to being more strategic.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This is<\/i><\/b> the path. And it get easier – every time you repeat it.<\/p>\n
To develop your self-awareness powerfully, consider executive coaching. Executive coaching illuminates all the corners of your internal world. You come to learn who you really are – compassionately and joyfully. You have a partner committed to walking the path with you, challenging you, supporting you, celebrating you.<\/p>\n
Choose to give yourself this gift.<\/p>\n
\n<\/div>\n - Be present<\/b> \u2013 Cultivate presence by putting your focus on body sensations such as breathing, tingling in the fingertips, or the space between your navel and your back.
- Self-monitoring<\/i> – You don\u2019t watch yourself \u2018do\u2019. If you can\u2019t see it, you can\u2019t change it.<\/li>\n
- You felt rushed <\/b>and \u2018just wanted to get it done\u2019.<\/li>\n